We will be at the Disney World parks in late August, a time that park crowds are considered low. So why is it hard to find character dining reservations for that time? I thought there would be more availability if fewer people are there. Thanks!”

Hi Courtney:

Disney World tends to be less crowded when schools are in session. When crowds are lower, dining tends to be easier to secure.

Many schools and sports programs start sessions in late August, especially in the South. In the NorthEast, schools tend to go back later, sometimes in early September. It could be that you are running into some of these NorthEast crowds who are not yet back at school. Given that dining reservations open up 180 days in advance, and given how popular character dining is, it's not entirely surprising some of the most popular restaurants are already reserved at the most popular times.

I would reserve what you can, even if it's not your first choice, so you know you have reservations (though keep in mind of the restaurant's cancelation policy). You can also try to walk up a restaurant and wait. You may be asked to wait for a while, so be prepared. In a handful of cases, I've seen the front desk at a restaurant tell Guests that they will absolutely not have room that evening and they are not accepting walk ups. So also be prepared to dine elsewhere if you take the chance on a walk up. It will depend on crowd levels and cancelations that evening.

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